In known wall-protecting handrails, rail members are mounted on brackets in a manner such they can deflect and deform under impacts from objects to prevent damage to the underlying wall. The rail members protect the underlying walls and provide support for persons walking through the building. These handrails are widely used in hospitals and nursing homes, where carts, wheelchairs and the like are moved through hallways and are likely to strike the walls.
Known handrails are supported in spaced-apart relation to the walls to allow space between the handrail and the user's fingers. The supports are individual brackets that are strongly attached to the walls and to the handrails. In some cases a single bolt is used that passes through a hole in a portion of the handrail, a corresponding hole in the bracket, and through the wall. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,048.
Another attachment system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,458.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,210,705 describe an LED lighted hand rail useful in hospitals.
The present inventors have recognized the need for a handrail assembly that provides an efficient and economical system of installing lights onto a handrail.
The present inventors have recognized the need for an efficient and economical method of assembling a handrail with an illumination function.
The present inventors have recognized the need for an illumination system that can be efficiently, effectively and economically applied to handrails, under cabinets, onto hung ceilings and other applications.
The present inventors have recognized the need for a method for economically and effectively producing a cover having an opaque portion and a clear or translucent portion, for use on handrail assemblies or on structures unrelated to handrails.